Dale Finucane already has a lane named after his family in their home town of Bega, but if the Melbourne lock continues to make history a statue could be on the cards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Finucane will run out for his fifth NRL grand final when the Storm line up against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday and at 27 years and 23 days, he will become the youngest player to reach that mark since the Parramatta trio of Peter Sterling, Eric Grothe Snr and Steve Ella.
They played in their fifth decider back in 1986 all aged 26.
After defeats with Canterbury in 2012 and 2014 and in 2016 with Melbourne, Finucane finally tasted victory last year.
"I'm very lucky to be in my fifth grand final," he said. "It's something that I don't take for granted as it's an opportunity that may never come up again."
Despite his many years of September action, Finucane has done his best to warn his younger teammates that his experience isn't the norm.
"I've tried to tell the younger guys who have tasted success like Curtis Scott and Josh Addo-Carr, who were fortunate enough to have already won a grand final, and the others that it's a really unique opportunity."
This grand final comes at the end of Finucane's toughest season after twice injuring his right thumb.
Averaging 26 games since 2013, he played just 17 after fracturing his thumb, then on return knocking the screw in it which sidelined him again.
If there's any upside it's that he's energised for the title decider.
"Coming into the back end of the year I didn't feel like I'd played much football so I feel pretty fresh," Finucane said.
Finucane laughed at the mention of a monument on Finucane Lane.
"It's right next to a cemetery so I don't know what sort of monument I would have there," he said.
AAP